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vs_code

An Ansible role that installs Visual Studio Code on Red Hat-based Linux distributions (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux).

Description

This role automates the installation of Microsoft Visual Studio Code by:

  • Adding Microsoft's official repository and GPG key
  • Installing the latest version of VS Code from the official repository
  • Ensuring the system package cache is updated

Requirements

  • Ansible 2.1 or higher
  • Target systems running Red Hat-based distributions (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux)
  • Internet connectivity to download packages from Microsoft's repository
  • dnf package manager (standard on modern Red Hat-based systems)

Role Variables

This role currently uses no configurable variables. It installs the latest available version of VS Code from Microsoft's official repository.

Dependencies

None.

Example Playbook

Basic Usage

---
- hosts: workstations
  become: yes
  roles:
    - vs_code

Installing on Multiple Host Groups

---
- hosts: developers
  become: yes
  roles:
    - vs_code

- hosts: testing_machines
  become: yes
  roles:
    - vs_code

Combined with Other Development Tools

---
- hosts: dev_workstations
  become: yes
  roles:
    - git_config
    - nodejs
    - vs_code
    - docker

What This Role Does

  1. Imports Microsoft GPG Key: Adds Microsoft's official GPG key for package verification
  2. Sets Up Repository: Installs the VS Code repository configuration file
  3. Installs VS Code: Uses dnf to install the latest version of Visual Studio Code
  4. Updates Package Cache: Ensures the latest package information is available

Files Created

  • /etc/yum.repos.d/vscode.repo - Repository configuration file for VS Code updates

Repository Configuration

The role configures the official Microsoft Visual Studio Code repository:

[code]
name=Visual Studio Code
baseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc

Post-Installation

After the role completes:

  • VS Code will be available in the system PATH as code
  • Users can launch VS Code from the command line or application menu
  • Future updates will be available through the system package manager (dnf update)

Platform Support

Supported Distributions:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8+
  • CentOS 8+
  • Rocky Linux 8+
  • AlmaLinux 8+
  • Fedora 32+

Package Manager:

  • Uses dnf (modern replacement for yum)

Testing

Test the role using the included test playbook:

cd tests/
ansible-playbook -i inventory test.yml

Usage Notes

  • Root Privileges Required: This role requires become: yes as it installs system packages
  • Internet Access: Target machines need internet connectivity to download from Microsoft's repository
  • Automatic Updates: Once installed, VS Code will receive updates through normal system updates
  • GPG Verification: All packages are cryptographically verified using Microsoft's GPG key

Common Use Cases

  • Developer Workstation Setup: Automated provisioning of development environments
  • Lab Environment Configuration: Setting up consistent coding environments for training
  • CI/CD Agent Preparation: Installing VS Code on build agents for testing purposes
  • Classroom/Workshop Setup: Rapid deployment across multiple student machines

Security Features

  • Uses official Microsoft repository (not third-party sources)
  • GPG signature verification ensures package integrity
  • Always installs the latest version with security updates

License

BSD

Author Information

Role for automated Visual Studio Code installation on Red Hat-based Linux systems.